IEBC servers, networks totally secure, Chebukati says

Electoral commission chairman Wafula Chebukati has assured Kenyans that the agency's poll systems and servers are safe and secure and that the team will deliver results as expected.

Addressing the media at the agency's offices at Anniversary Towers on Tuesday, Mr Chebukati said service providers are handling technical work at the agency and the death of ICT Manager Chris Msando will not affect the agency in delivering its mandate.

“Our servers, networks and systems are secure. We have service providers and come the day of election, we are going to deliver the results as expected,” said Mr Chebukati.

PASSWORDS

Mr Chebukati laughed off speculation that Mr Msando was the only person with access codes or password to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission's (IEBC) information, communication and technology (ICT) system.

He said no staff at the commission had any password yet and whoever tortured Mr Msando found nothing useful.

This was corroborated by IEBC executive officer Ezra Chiloba, who also described the speculation as "false and propaganda", saying that matters of ICT governance cannot be left entirely to an individual in any organisation.

OUTSIDE EXPERTS

Mr Chebukati further said that the IEBC does not need any assistance from experts from outside, adding that Mr Msando, who was working on the ICT transmission programme before his death, left behind a team that was going to carry on with the work.

“In the course of his duty, Mr Msando left behind a team that is going to carry on with the work. I want to assure Kenyans that there is no cause for concern as the team left behind will do the work," he said.

For his part, Mr Chiloba said there are many components of the election project that were being implemented by different individuals.

“We are not thinking about replacements, we are thinking about elections. It is a more complex system and it is not compromised. It is not about access codes, it is about very many things working together,” he said.

SECURITY

On security for their staff, Mr Chebukati appealed to the government to provide it, especially for the returning officers and senior staff.

He said there is an ongoing discussion between the IEBC and Inspector-General of Police Joseph Boinnet to map out strategies on how to secure their staff.

Mr Chiloba added: “We are 800 of us and we must ensure that we have security for every officer as we go to elections and it is going to be critical that one week before and after elections all our critical staff are well covered when it comes to security.”